Power generation drops by 450 megawatts

Power generation to the national grid has dropped by 450 megawatts (MW) following the vandalism of the pipeline that supplies gas to Okpai power plant in Delta State.

Okpai power plant has the capacity to generate 450 megawatts of electricity.

Following the vandalism of the plant, power supply to the national grid has now dropped to about 3,300 megawatts. This situation has resulted in power rationing across the country. Before now, the total national generation capacity was between 3,600 megawatts and 3, 700 megawatts.

According to a statement by Seun Olagunju, general manager, public affairs, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the incident which occurred at the weekend would take three days to fix. This means that the 450 megawatts would not be restored to the system until Wednesday this week.

Just recently there was a nationwide power rationing for six days because of Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) scheduled maintenance work on Okoloma gas plant supplying gas to Afam VI Power Plant. The nation in the course of that exercise lost 400 megawatts.

The shutdown of Afam VI power plant became necessary to allow SPDC inspect and carry out routine maintenance work on the Okoloma natural gas station in Afam, Rivers State, to ensure its technical integrity.

Maintenance work on Okoloma gas plant, SPDC revealed, is important to guarantee continuous and uninterrupted supply of gas to Afam VI for power generation into the national grid.

The Federal Government formally handed over the physical assets of all 14 PHCN successor-companies to their new owners in October this year.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who handed over the stations, said that the participation of the private sector would bring about higher generation capacity.

Sambo said that the handing over would bring about cost effective power stations and improvement in electricity distribution.

The nation has continued to groan under a deteriorating power supply across many parts of the nation as a result of the massive disengagement of technical personnel at the various electricity distribution zones scattered across the country by the new investors.

It was also gathered that inadequate load allocation from the generation companies is responsible for the drastic dip in power supply in parts of the country.

For instance, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (Ikeja Disco) that needs 900 megawatts (MW) on the average now receives 300 megawatts.

Some of the power plants had low output while some were out. Egbin had 537 megawatts; Afam VI, 428 megawatts; Kainji, 112 megawatts; Jebba, 451 megawatts. Alaoji, Afam IV and V, Sapele, Omoku and Ibom plants were out.